Monday, August 16, 2010

The House that Eat,Pray,Love Built

A couple of weeks ago I met Liz Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love-- yes I really did. I was in Frenchtown with a friend, had brunch in a great organic restaurant called The Lovin Oven and then wandered next door to Two Buttons, a cavernous warehouse full of beautiful and exotic goodies owned by best selling author, Liz Gilbert. With characteristic humor she refers to the place as " the house that Eat, Pray, Love built.

Guess who was in Two Buttons? Yup-- Liz. She stuck out her hand, smiled and said " Hi, I"m Liz" You could have knocked me over with a feather. We talked for all of about two minutes and then went our separate ways but here's my impression of the woman who became a global phenom for writing the book that has just become a movie starring Julia Roberts.

Now, wouldn't it turn your head to have Julia Roberts play you on the silver screen? Not Liz She really is something special.Not a movie star-- not a trace of narcissism or insecurity--no hunger for fame-- instead she exudes a down to earth serenity and if there is any hunger in her energy, it is for life itself. She seems greedy for new experiences and nothing else.

She carries a lot of energy around her and a definite sense of having her values on straight. She knows who she is, what she wants and where she is going. It's a rare and refreshing quality. No wonder the book is a best seller.

She was a delight and so is Two Buttons. It is chock full of everything from statues and silks to tiny trinkets and childrens toys. There's no slick marketing plan here and clearly money is not the major emphasis. This is clearly a joyful, personal, people to people effort reflecting the taste of the owners and the work of people they know. Nobody tries to sell you anything and you are free to wander the aisles, touching, feeling, looking and just enjoying the sometimes oddball collection of objects.

You might be offered a complimentary bag of fresh hot popcorn or a cup of coffee to keep you happy, but nobody will apply a hard sell or bother you in any way. Friends and neighbors drop by and the whole ambiance is like a cross between a Buddhist monastery and an old fashioned general store. Eat, Pray, Love has definitely built a magical emporium by the banks of the Delaware River.

It is definitely worth a visit and maybe, if you are lucky, you too will meet Liz Gilbert.

4 comments:

This is so absolutely fantastic! How cool is it. I remember when you told me about this. Far out dream come true it would be for me. I wouldn't even know what to say. I've got to pass this on. Awesome, pinkpackrat.

Whoa - how cool is that, Girlfriend? Read the book awhile back, and loved the movie. She seems every bit as real as she does in her book. What a cool exclusive you have here! Nice piece o' work - I must tweet a link to it later.